freedom of information

Introduction

What is the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002?

The Act requires all public authorities, including Councils, to be open with information. The Act gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by the Council. It sets out exemptions from that right and places various obligations upon the Council.

Any person who makes a request to the Council for information must be informed whether the Council holds that information and, subject to exemptions, supplied with that information.

More information about the Act can be found on the Scottish Information Commissioner's website.

Guide to Information / Publication Scheme

The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (the Act) requires Scottish public authorities to produce and maintain a publication scheme. Authorities are under a legal obligation to:

• publish the classes of information that they make routinely available
• tell the public how to access the information and what it might cost.

Shetland Islands Council has adopted the Model Publication Scheme 2017 produced by the Scottish Information Commissioner.

The purpose of this Guide to Information is to:

• allow you to see what information is available (and what is not available) in relation to each class.
• state what charges may be applied.
• explain how you can find the information easily.
• provide contact details for enquiries and to get help with accessing the information.
• explain how to request information we hold that has not been published.

You can click on the following link to view a full copy of the Council's Guide to Information and its Publication Scheme:

• SIC Guide to Information and Publication Scheme 2017 - pdf document 693kb

Accessing Information under the Publication Scheme

The website is intended to operate as a convenient user-friendly resource to enable you to find the information you are looking for easily.

The authority has computers, linked to the Internet, with printing facilities, in the Shetland Library. The Library is accessible for people with disabilities.

Email

If the information you request is not available on our website, but is listed in our publication scheme, we will send it to you by email, wherever practical.

By post

All information is also available in a paper copy form.

In person

For some information you can make an appointment to view the information.

By phone

Information can also be requested over the telephone. Please provide full contact details, including a telephone number, so that we can telephone to clarify any details, if necessary.

Copyright

Shetland Islands Council holds the copyright for the vast majority of information in this publication scheme.  All of this information can be copied or reproduced without our formal permission, provided it is copied or reproduced accurately, is not used in a misleading context, and provided that the source of the material is identified.  See also Re-Use of information in the next section.

The publication scheme may however contain information where the copyright holder is not Shetland Islands Council.  In most cases the copyright holder will be obvious from the documents.  In cases where the copyright is unclear, however, it is the responsibility of the person accessing the information to locate and seek the permission of the copyright holder before reproducing the material or in any other way breaching the rights of the copyright holder.

Information about Crown copyright material is available on the website of the Queens Printer for Scotland at www.oqps.gov.uk.  We can provide you with a copy of this information if you do not have internet access.

Feedback

The Shetland Islands Council is committed to open government and freedom of information. The Publication Scheme lets you know what information is routinely made available by the Council. We want the Publication Scheme to make the Council more accountable to you, increasing your involvement in the democratic process. Your views on the Scheme will therefore bring improvements for the future, and the Council welcomes comments and suggestions on how it can improve the scheme, as it is important that the Scheme meets your needs. We will also be pleased to advise you how to ask for information that we do not publish, or how to complain if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of this publication scheme. You can contact us as follows:

Shetland Islands Council
Corporate Services Department
8 North Ness Business Park
Lerwick
Shetland
ZE1 0LZ

E-mail: foi@shetland.gov.uk

Telephone: 01595 744554